Continuing to develop their Indigenous learning program, St Canice's Primary Katoomba will be holding a meet and greet event for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families from Katoomba and surrounds.
The school, which is holding the day on November 20, is proud of its connections with the local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community including local Elders Aunty Carol Cooper OAM and Uncle Chris Tobin.
Families will be able to enjoy a cuppa, a yarn and enjoy a tour of the school along with meeting the Principal, Aunty Carol and staff, including diversity teacher Rosemary Gillespie, who brings to the school years of experience working with Indigenous communities.
"I regularly consult with Uncle Chris and Aunty Alexa Watanabe, Kindergarten, with Aunty Carol about the work that we've been doing," said Ms Gillespie.
"Their hopes are that children have an appreciation and an understanding of the environment, the Blue Mountains and themselves as global citizens so they can make informed choices about their role in the world as custodians, because we're all custodians of this land."
Ms Gillespie, who spent seven years living and working in Arnhem Land, the Kimberley region, Broome, the Torres Strait Islands and remote parts of the Cape York Peninsula, will take up a new role as the school's Indigenous education teacher in 2024.
Under the guidance of Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese's Jarara Cultural Centre, St Canice's recently completed the first term of a new Sky Country Dreaming Indigenous education program.
"This is about developing understanding and respect among our children for our Aboriginal people, their knowledge and skills, and how they have created and cared for our land," Principal Miriam Meaney said.
The school hosts regular cultural events for NAIDOC Week, Sorry Day, National Recognition Week, as well as Three Sisters Immersion Day and cultural talks and presentations from local Elders.
"St Canice's is the place to be for our Indigenous families. It is a school that has invested so much in developing a culture of understanding about our Indigenous culture and history," said Ms Meaney.
"It is a school that will say Yes to Indigenous families who want to enrol their children and will ensure they can get an excellent education without parents having to worry about the cost."
Learn more about the Jarara program
Blue Mountains Gazette
Katoomba news, sport and weather.
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22 Jul 2026
Little Learners - School Readiness Program
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27 Jul 2026
From Facebook
🎶✨ What an incredible day for our talented St Canice's Harmony and Choir students! ✨🎶 Last Friday, our Harmony and Choir students travelled to Nagle College in Blacktown to perform at the CAPTIVATE Arts Factor Primary Choral Learning Exhibition. Our students proudly performed Beds Are Burning and Rainbow Connection, showcasing not only their beautiful voices but also their confidence and joy of performing. We were especially touched to receive this wonderful feedback from a fellow school: "I just wanted to let you know that your school choir was amazing! Their love of what they are doing certainly shone through their pieces and had me captivated. I am certainly no music expert except to know that I really liked what I heard your young singers present. And your conductor has such passion (and skill) for her craft! It was inspiring. So, please pass on my congratulations to all for a magnificent performance." We couldn't be prouder of our students for representing St Canice's with such enthusiasm and spirit. A special thank you to our wonderful music teacher, Ms Frazer, whose passion, dedication and encouragement continue to inspire our young musicians every day. Congratulations to everyone involved on a magnificent performance! 💙🎵👏 #StCanicesPrimary #CaptivateArtsFactor #SchoolChoir #ProudMoment #CatholicSchoolsParramatta #MusicMatters
27 Jul 2026
From Facebook
🎉 You're Invited! 💙💛 Our St Canice's community warmly invites all parents, carers and grandparents to join us as we celebrate the Feast of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop. 📅 Wednesday 5 August ⛪ Liturgy: 12:00 pm in the School Hall 🧺 Family Picnic: 12:45 pm on the Lower Playground Following our liturgy, we invite you to stay and enjoy a picnic lunch with your child on the lower playground. It's a wonderful opportunity to come together as a school community to celebrate the life and legacy of Australia's first saint while sharing an afternoon of faith, friendship and connection. Please bring: 🧺 A picnic lunch or something special to share with your child. 🪑 A picnic blanket or camp chairs for your comfort. We look forward to celebrating this special occasion with you and hope to see many of our St Canice's families there! 💙
MORE NEWS
27 Jul 2026
From Facebook
🎶✨ What an incredible day for our talented St Canice's Harmony and Choir students! ✨🎶 Last Friday, our Harmony and Choir students travelled to Nagle College in Blacktown to perform at the CAPTIVATE Arts Factor Primary Choral Learning Exhibition. Our students proudly performed Beds Are Burning and Rainbow Connection, showcasing not only their beautiful voices but also their confidence and joy of performing. We were especially touched to receive this wonderful feedback from a fellow school: "I just wanted to let you know that your school choir was amazing! Their love of what they are doing certainly shone through their pieces and had me captivated. I am certainly no music expert except to know that I really liked what I heard your young singers present. And your conductor has such passion (and skill) for her craft! It was inspiring. So, please pass on my congratulations to all for a magnificent performance." We couldn't be prouder of our students for representing St Canice's with such enthusiasm and spirit. A special thank you to our wonderful music teacher, Ms Frazer, whose passion, dedication and encouragement continue to inspire our young musicians every day. Congratulations to everyone involved on a magnificent performance! 💙🎵👏 #StCanicesPrimary #CaptivateArtsFactor #SchoolChoir #ProudMoment #CatholicSchoolsParramatta #MusicMatters
27 Jul 2026
From Facebook
🎉 You're Invited! 💙💛 Our St Canice's community warmly invites all parents, carers and grandparents to join us as we celebrate the Feast of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop. 📅 Wednesday 5 August ⛪ Liturgy: 12:00 pm in the School Hall 🧺 Family Picnic: 12:45 pm on the Lower Playground Following our liturgy, we invite you to stay and enjoy a picnic lunch with your child on the lower playground. It's a wonderful opportunity to come together as a school community to celebrate the life and legacy of Australia's first saint while sharing an afternoon of faith, friendship and connection. Please bring: 🧺 A picnic lunch or something special to share with your child. 🪑 A picnic blanket or camp chairs for your comfort. We look forward to celebrating this special occasion with you and hope to see many of our St Canice's families there! 💙
23 Jul 2026
From Facebook
📚✨ A wonderful morning at Katoomba Library! ✨📖 A small group of St Canice's students enjoyed a fantastic visit to the Katoomba Library's weekly Storytime program with Ms Kate and Ms Sarah. Filled with engaging stories, fun songs and creative craft activities, Storytime is a wonderful free community program held every Wednesday during the school term from 11:00 am – 11:45 am. It's also the perfect activity to enjoy after the Little Lyrebirds Playgroup, which runs every Wednesday during school term from 9:00 am – 10:30 am at St Canice's. Families with children aged 0–5 are warmly invited to come along, connect with other local families and enjoy a fun morning before heading to Storytime at the library. Our students had a fantastic time listening, learning, creating and discovering the joy of books. 📚💙 A big thank you to the wonderful team at Katoomba Library for providing such a welcoming and engaging experience for our community! #StCanicesKatoomba #LoveOfLearning #Storytime #LittleLyrebirds #CommunityConnections #ReadingForLife
22 Jul 2026
From Facebook
🎉 Welcome Back to School at St Canice’s! 📚✨ Our students are back and ready to jump into another exciting term of learning, growing and making memories together. It has been wonderful seeing our classrooms filled with smiles, conversations and the joy of reconnecting with friends. We’re looking forward to all the learning experiences, achievements and special moments that this term will bring. #StCanicesPrimary #BackToSchool #LearningTogether #OurSchoolCommunity
22 Jul 2026
From Facebook
📚 You're Invited to Our Final Community Open Day! 🌿 Come and experience what makes St Canice's Primary School such a special place to learn, grow and belong. Join us on Wednesday 12 August from 9:30 am – 11:00 am and discover our vibrant classrooms, meet our dedicated teachers, and see our students' learning in action. Whether you're considering Kindergarten or another year level, our team will be available to answer your questions and guide you through the enrolment process. ✨ Explore our school ✨ Meet our wonderful staff ✨ Learn about our caring community ✨ Find out how to enrol 📅 Wednesday 12 August 🕤 9:30 am – 11:00 am Register now to secure your place. We can't wait to welcome you and show you around! https://info.parra.catholic.edu.au/open-day/stcaniceskatoomba #StCanicesPrimary #CommunityOpenDay #BlueMountainsSchools #FutureStudents #CatholicEducation #Katoomba
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What's It Really Like to Send Your Kid to a Catholic School?
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16 Jul 2026
From Facebook
08 Jul 2026
CSPD students recognised in Refugee Week Creative Competition
Over 125 students from 10 Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese (CSPD) schools have been recognised for their empathy and powerful storytelling as part of the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) Australia Refugee Week Creative Competition.
05 Jul 2026
From Facebook
🌿💛❤️🖤 NAIDOC Week 2026 🖤❤️💛🌿 This week, communities across Australia come together to celebrate NAIDOC Week — a time to honour and recognise the rich history, culture, and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Here in the Blue Mountains, it is a wonderful opportunity for our community to learn, reflect, and deepen our understanding of the First Nations cultures and histories of the Dharug and Gundungurra peoples, while celebrating the oldest continuous living cultures on Earth. This year marks a very special milestone as we celebrate 50 years of NAIDOC Week with the 2026 theme: ✨ 50 Years of Deadly ✨ 📅 5th – 12th July 2026 We encourage our school community to take part in local celebrations, listen, learn, and celebrate the strength, resilience, and incredible contributions of First Nations peoples — past, present, and future. https://www.bmcc.nsw.gov.au/naidoc-week #NAIDOCWeek2026 #50YearsOfDeadly #AlwaysWasAlwaysWillBe #BlueMountainsCommunity #CelebrateCulture #LearnReflectCelebrate
03 Jul 2026
From Facebook
03 Jul 2026
From Facebook
📚🦘 Learning, sharing, and building confidence at St Canice’s! Our Stage 1 students proudly shared their learning by reading their information reports on a selected animal to our Stage 2 students. This wonderful activity gave students the opportunity to showcase their research and writing skills while building confidence in speaking and connecting with others. It was fantastic to see our students learning together and supporting one another across stages. Well done, Stage 1! 🌟🐨🐍
03 Jul 2026
From Facebook
Last week, all students at St Canice’s had the exciting opportunity to participate in a free clinic facilitated by Blue Mountains OzTag. 🏉 Throughout the sessions, students developed important skills including passing, kicking, tagging, teamwork, and communication — all while staying active and having lots of fun! A huge thank you to Blue Mountains OzTag for providing such a fantastic experience and helping our students build confidence, skills, and a love of sport. We loved every minute! ⭐
01 Jul 2026
From Facebook
It might be the final week of Term 2, but there’s no slowing down at St Canice’s Primary School, Katoomba! 🌟 From creative Art, hands-on Science, inspiring Music, and active Sport, our students are busy learning, growing, and having fun every single day. At St Canice’s, we pride ourselves on creating a nurturing environment where every child is encouraged to discover their strengths, build confidence, and thrive. 💙 If you’d like to learn more about what St Canice’s Primary School can offer your child, we’d love to hear from you. 📚 Kindergarten 2027 enrolments are now open – get in touch today! https://www.stcaniceskatoomba.catholic.edu.au/ Come and discover what makes our school community so special. #StCanicesKatoomba #FutureReady #Kindergarten2027 #LoveOfLearning
29 Jun 2026
From Facebook
🎉 Huge congratulations to our very own Ms Sally on the incredible achievement of writing and illustrating her very own book, Skyhawk Sam (2026)! 📚✨ Skyhawk Sam follows a young boy named Sam on a journey to find balance — both on his bike and within his family — discovering that true connection means feeling supported, even from a distance. 💙🚲 We are so proud to celebrate the creativity and talent within our St Canice’s community. 📖 Where to buy: Pick up your copy now on Amazon! Congratulations, Ms Sally — what an amazing accomplishment! 👏🌟 #StCanicesProud #AuthorSpotlight #SkyhawkSam #CelebratingSuccess
27 Jun 2026